|
By Ernie B. Esconde, Correspondent
MARIVELES, Bataan: Sen. Richard
Gordon claimed that smuggling is flourishing because it is
profitable and some corrupt government officials are receiving
payoffs from it.
Meanwhile, he said, the people
are not doing anything to stop the illegal trade. He blamed the
apparent complacency on government leaders who set bad examples.
Gordon also claimed that when he
was eased out as chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority,
the government lost millions of pesos in revenues from smuggling of
second-hand cars, liquors and oil products.
The senator made the claims on
Friday on reports that freeports have become vehicles for increased
smuggling during the first on-site consultative hearing conducted by
the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs here.
Sen. Loren Legarda, committee
chairman, also raised concern on smuggling in the freeports with
Region 3 Director Remigio Mercado of the National Economic and
Development Authority.
“The predicament on smuggling
is not institutional but a law-enforcement problem,” Remigio said.
Legarda led a hearing on a
proposed bill seeking to convert the Bataan Economic Zone located in
Mariveles to the Bataan Special Economic Zone and Freeport
Authority. She was met by placard-bearing supporters of the
conversion.
The proposed law under
Legarda’s Senate Bill 2188 and House Bill 1425 authored by Rep.
Albert Garcia of Bataan’s Second District also seeks the creation
and appropriations of funds for the proposed economic zone and
freeport authority.
Gordon, first chairman of the
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, said he favored the conversion. He
recounted his pitch for the transformation of Subic Naval Base into
what is now the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
Under the proposed changes,
Gordon said, local government units will be accountable for any
smuggling activities.
Congressman Garcia and his
father, Gov. Enrique Garcia, said officials of the Philippine
Economic Zone Authority had admitted that the Bataan Economic Zone
has been losing money and only survives with the support of other
economic zones in the country.
Francisco Legaspi, an engineer
and newly installed administrator of the Bataan Economic Zone, said
that when the Philippine Economic Zone Authority took over the
administration of the former Bataan Export Processing Zone in 1995,
the economic zone has made remarkable accomplishments. He admitted,
though, that the Bataan Economic Zone has been operating at a loss
for the past three years at P30 million annually.
Former Mariveles Mayor Oscar de
los Reyes voiced the objection of the Mariveles People’s Coalition
against the conversion of BEZ.
Legarda and Gordon urged the
oppositors as well as those in favor of the conversion to submit
additional documents to the committee. Legarda said she will create
a technical working committee to study the recommendations.
|
